Student&#39;s-desk book-holder.



Patented Jan. 30, who. T. DUNCAN. STUDENTS DESK BOOK HOLDER.

(Application fllad Sept. 21, 1899.)

(No Model.)

m: mmms PETERS cu. PHOTO-LITNQ. WASHKNGTON. u. c.

Niiii STATES THOMAS DUNCAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

STUDENTS- -DESK BOOK HQLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 642,096, dated January 30, 1900. Application filed SeptemherZl, 1899. Serial No. 781,163. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it vita/y concern:

Be it known that I, T HOMAS DUNCAN, a citiof the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Students-Desk Book-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a rack or support for reference and other books, maps, &c., which may be turned or swung forward and downward in inclined or reading position, the books resting thereon all the while, and which when not in use is moved back into the case in horizontal position and having the appearance of ordinary shelves.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully de scribed and claimed, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a support embodying my improvements, the upper swinging rack being shown turned forward in dotted lines into reading position. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one of the lower supports turned forward in reading position in solid lines and moved back into the case in dotted lines. Fig. dis a longitudinal section of a portion of the rack. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the interior of the rack, a portion of the stationary partition or shelf being broken away to illustrate the rack-hanger.

The invention is here illustrated in connection with a cabinet, of which A is the base,

B the end uprights, and C an intermediate horizontal partition. At the top of the cabinet is the shelf or rack D, secured to the upper ends of the forked arms E, there being one arm at each end, said arms being hinged at their lower ends to cabinet ends B, as indicated at F. On the forward end of rack D .is cleat G, which constitutes a stop for the books. When turned forward to reading position, arms E engage and are sustained by stops G on ends B.

Within the cabinet are the sliding and down wardly-tilting racks H, which move on cleats I on partition 0, cleats J on the under sides of the shelves or racks holding them to proper position. Each shelf is adapted to be sus tained in inclined position by two pieces of webbing K, having its ends secured to the under side of rack H adjacent its longitudinal edges at L, and the Webbing between its ends is secured to partition 0, as indicated at M. By this means racks H are conveniently suspended in forwardly-inclined or reading position and when not in use are slid back into the cabinet, the strips of webbing simply folding between the racks and partition 0. The manner in which the racks are held suspended by the webbing is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, the forward or under portion of the webbing acting as hangers,in conjunction with the edge of partition 0, and the upper portion holding the rack in inclined position against the partition.

With the invention embodied in a cabinet the latter may be placed on a desk or reading-table, and when reference is desired to the Bible, dictionary, or other book in the cabinet, it is instantly accessible by simply drawing forward the rack supportin git, when the book is presented in convenient position for reading. I do n0t,-however, confine myself to the particular adaptation of the invention here shown, as the improved racks may be mounted in a variety of Ways without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

'With my improvement applied to a cabinet, as here illustrated, the upper end of the cabinet or of sides B serves as a stop for bold ing the upper rack in horizontal position when turned back. The cabinet may be conveniently placed on the reading desk or table. It is unnecessary to secure the cabinet to the desk or table, as only one rack will be drawn to position at a time, the other racks remain ing in the cabinet and acting as a counterbalance to prevent tilting.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a support, a rack slidable thereon, and

strips of webbing secured at the ends to the rack and between the ends to the support, whereby when moved over the edge of the support the rack is sustained by the webbin g, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of a horizontal support, a rack slidable thereon, and strips of webbing secured at their ends adjacent opposite longitudinal edges of the rack, the webbing between its ends being secured to the horizontal support, the webbing serving to sustain the rack in forwardly-inclined position in the manner shown and described.

3. The combination of ahorizontal support, cleats arranged transversely on the top thereof, a rack, cleats on the under side of the rack which cooperate with the support-cleats to slide the rack, and strips of webbing secured between their ends to the support and-at their ends to the under side of the rack adjacent opposite edges thereof,substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of a cabinet provided with a horizontal longitudinal partition and end members rising above the partition, a

rack adapted to rest in horizontal position at the upper ends of the end members, arms secured at their upper ends to the rack and at their lower ends hinged to the cabinet ends, stops or rests for the arms when in forwardlyinclined position, racks supported by the cabinet-partition, and mechanism for sustaining said racks in forwardly-inclined position, the racks being adapted to lie flatly on the partition when not in use, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- THOMAS DUNCAN. Witnesses:

J. M. NESBIT, F. E. GAITHER. 

